Times Have Changed
by PurpleTwizzlers
Summary: Haruhi Fujioka reunites with her fellow Host Club members after graduation in an unorthodox and bittersweet way- through the Ootori Mental Hospital. (Explained better in Chapter 1) "Please... Don't leave us again! We're here! You're here! Can't things go back to the way they were? Or has the pumpkin rotted?" (T for implications)
1. Chapter 1

No one had seen her in months. As soon as all of the Club members graduated, she had gone missing. Even Kyoya had failed to track her down. Everyone searched for months, but eventually gave up. Tamaki ended up so depressed, he ended up in a mental hospital ironically financed by the Ootori family.

The twins soon followed, but for another reason. Kaoru had horrible separation issues and Hikaru had violent tendencies. Both had PTSD, however.

Honey, Mori and Kyoya would often visit them, but they all knew they couldn't help. They _knew_ the only cure was bringing back their beloved natural- Haruhi Fujioka.

00oo00

She walked off of the campus for a final time. She had maintained a flawless record, and yet it still wasn't enough to make the school happy. The university had given her unneeded anxiety problems related and unrelated to academics, and being expelled made her feel even worse.

Attending that particular college wasn't her decision. Something had happened at Ouran Highschool on her senior year her brain wouldn't allow her to remember. It annoyed her, but she couldn't do much about it. She fell off the place of the planet because of it, she recalled, even leaving her dad in the dark.

She had never felt so alone in her life. Even her mom's funeral never left an impression like this on her. She had lost her friends, she had lost her family, and her school.

She stumbled into her apartment and crashed on the couch. It wasn't like her to be worried. After all, she's the sarcastic, normal "commoner" the Host Club treasured, right? Whatever happened her senior year broke that. She was still sarcastic, but she felt like a hollow corpse. She had _nothing_. It was worse than pre-Club days at Ouran Highschool.

 _Tears?_ she thought, touching her cheek. _Definitely not a contact._

She bounced off the couch. _C'mon, Haruhi! Pull yourself together!_

00oo00

Haruhi woke up in a hospital. She had never done anything so idiotic and selfish, and hated herself even more for it. Her brown eyes shifted to a nurse and an officer in the room.

"Miss Fujioka?" the nurse spoke.

"Yeah?" was her nonchalant response.

"I'm here to do a mental evaluation on you."

"Great," Haruhi moaned with an eyeroll.

00oo00

She had failed art, music, gym, and got expelled from college. Another got added to the list: mental. She was promptly sent to the Ootori Mental Hospital.

You may have assumed she moved overseas, but she couldn't afford a ferry ride or a plane ticket. She moved to a well populated city in Japan. The Ootori Hospital was only an hour car trip away.

The funny thing is, she was never given the name of the place she was being transported to. She didn't pay attention to the signs greeting those who were passing by or being admitted there, either.

The Ootori Mental Hospital wasn't what most mental wards looked like. It was a big house with a fence, giving it a homey feel. There were other buildings, but they looked more like warehouses. It was humble for an Ootori establishment.

She walked in the doors, being watched like a hawk by the officer who escorted her. He handed the person at the front desk the file.

"Haruhi Fujioka?" they read.

She nodded, feeling quite embarrassed.

"Welcome to the Ootori Mental Hospital."

Her breath hitched in her throat. _Ootori?_

00oo00

 **Sorry if it's a bit rushed! This is my first Ouran fic, by the way! Please review, comment, and favorite if you deem it worthy!**

 **Inspiration for this you may ask? This may sound cliché or stupid, but I had a dream about it.**

 **Also: never been to a mental hospital. Making my own rules. DON'T KILL ME!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Twiz**


	2. Chapter 2

_Ootori_. The name echoed through her mind.

"Miss Fujioka," the person at the front desk proceeded. "We will have another patient give you a tour. Unfortunately, all of them are male."

 _No way._

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Haruhi replied.

They hit a button on the base of a microphone. "Kaoru Hitachiin to the front, please. Kaoru Hitachiin."

 _What are the_ odds _?_ she wondered, watching the doors.

About a minute after they paged him, a familiar boy entered. He hadn't grown since the last time she saw him. He wore a loose, blue sleeveless top and a pair of baggy jeans. It was spring, so it made sense. His hair was in the same style he used throughout highschool. The consistency made his eyes concern her. His amber colored eyes were dull, deprived of life and destitute of the mischief they once gleamed with.

"Haruhi?" he murmured under his breath.

"Hey, Kaoru," Haruhi greeted with an embarrassed smile.

He stood there for a moment, tears filing his gaze. He slowly walked up to her, scanning her top to bottom. He stopped, only an inch away from her. He was hesitant, she realized. Haruhi wasn't sure why, however.

Time stopped for him. He was afraid to touch her. He didn't know if he was hallucinating _again_. He couldn't be let down again. He gingerly put his hand to her cheek. His vision turned fuzzy when he felt her smooth skin. He was so overwhelmed by happy emotions, he didn't know how to express them.

He moved his hand to her hair and began messing it up.

"Kaoru!" she scolded, pulling away from him.

He started chuckling a bit. "That's _definitely_ Haruhi."

She smiled a bit, his dorky laughter filling her ears. He hugged her tightly.

"We've missed you so much!" he laughed, excitement consuming his soul. "Hikaru-" he paused. " _Hikaru_! We've gotta show Hikaru!"

"Hikaru is here, too?"

He nodded. "Tamaki, too. Mori, Honey, and Kyoya visit us a lot, too!"

 _Just like before!_ He added gleefully in his head. _The carriage is back again!_

"Mr. Hitachiin," the front desk person interrupted. "Can you show Miss Fujioka around, please?

He smiled and nodded. He took her hand, and escorted her down the hall.

00oo00

He picked up the phone. "Kyoya Ootori."

"Mr. Ootori," a woman on the other side of the line spoke, "we have another patient with us."

"Who might that be?"

"A girl around your age," she answered. "Her name is Haruhi Fujioka."

"Haruhi Fujioka, you say?" he repeated, a smile growing on his face, yet voice still emotionless as usual. "We'll be there to greet her soon. We're currently in Hawaii for vacation."

"Yes, sir."

"Mark the mental hospital as full, by the way."

"Yes, sir."

Kyoya hung up. He paused and put a finger on the bottom of his chin. _Now why would_ Haruhi _be in a mental hospital? I'll have to ask when we get there._

He looked over at Honey and Mori, who were asleep in their beds. It was _early_ in the morning, after all. They only had one room in the lavish hotel they were at, but it didn't faze them.

 _This'll be interesting_ , he added.

00oo00

Kaoru knocked on the door labelled 'Hikaru Hitachiin'. Each of the doors had a miniature whiteboard with a unique, erasable marker attached to each. Hikaru's was a light blue, while Kaoru's had a pale orange marker. The younger of the twins had simply wrote his name while the eldest of the two wrote his name sloppily and had doodles all over.

Hikaru opened the door. His eyes heavily contrasted from his brother's. They were the same color and shape, no doubt. Unlike Kaoru's, his eyes burned with rage fueled by angst. Haruhi was blocked from his view by Kaoru, albeit unintentionally.

"Hey, Kaoru," Hikaru greeted, voice having a faint undertone of annoyance. "What's up?"

"I have a surprise for you," Kaoru snickered mischievously.

"It better be good," he sighed.

"Close your eyes!" Kaoru giggled childishly.

He did so.

"Move out of the way," he added.

He complied.

Kaoru put Haruhi in the middle of the bedroom. It was unkempt, which the younger of the twins apologized for quietly.

"Kaoru," Hikaru growled, "this is annoying. Can I open my eyes now?"

Kaoru beamed. "Yes."

He opened his eyes and immediately saw the 'tanuki-like girl', as he put once. Her round eyes held the exact wonder and childlike curiosity he remembered, but her hair…

"You let your hair get out of control, again?" Hikaru grumbled, his annoyance replacing his formerly happy gaze. "You _really_ let yourself go after graduation."

"I didn't have the time to fix it," she explained, messing with it.

He smiled mischievously. "Kaoru, go get some scissors from the art room."

"They're too dull," Kaoru argued. "They're kid scissors. They won't let us anywhere _near_ sharp objects, though."

Hikaru moaned. "It'll _have_ to do."

Kaoru went off to get the scissors.

Tamaki heard him run by his room. _What's going on?_ he wondered.

00oo00

 **Thanks for the support! Please follow, review, and favorite!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Haru-chan?!" Honey practically screamed.

Even Mori had a smile on his face when he heard the news, albeit a faint one.

Kyoya nodded. "She is a patient at the Ootori Mental Hospital."

The Haninozuka excited, brown eyes morphed into ones of confusion and concern. "Why is she there?"

"I'm not sure," the Ootori boy admitted. "I decided to wait until we got there to read her file."

"Takashi," Honey said softly, turning to his tall cousin, "do you think Haru-chan is ok?"

He grunted, raising his shoulders slightly. Seeing this depressed Honey further, he lifted him up.

"Don't cry, Mitsukuni," he instructed calmly.

"We can board a plane to Japan tomorrow morning," Kyoya informed them.

"Why can't we go now?" Honey asked out of curiosity.

"We should allow enough time for Tamaki to react," he explained.

"Seeing Tamaki so depressed is painful," Honey agreed. "Do you think he'll be happy when we seem him again?"

Kyoya looked out the window, gaze focusing on the waves. The faintest of smirks appeared on his face. "Only time will tell."

00oo00

She didn't know _how_ they pulled it off, but they did. She stared at herself through the tall mirror Hikaru had in his room. She was given the same haircut she wore while in highschool. This familiar style just proved how much her body had changed since then. She had grown a little taller, and her face looked more adult-like. She looked slightly more feminine, but it was still really easy to confuse her for a man.

Hikaru had thrown her some clothes to wear, as well. He claimed that just because she wasa _commoner_ , doesn't mean she had to dress like one- _especially_ since she knew the sons of a famous designer.

Kaoru and Hikaru argued over what to give her. Kaoru wanted to put her in something more simple, while the eldest of the twins wanted to boast her beauty by giving her bolder clothes. The younger and more mature of the duo allowed his brother to win, not wanting to provoke him. (Despite having violent fits, Hikaru never hit his brother.) Realizing the sacrifice, he compromised with Kaoru.

Haruhi was dressed in a red dress, black gloves, and black heels.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," she spoke up, eyes fixated on her clothes in the mirror. "Don't you think this is a bit… much?"

"Of course not!" the twins declared in unison.

"You're _beautiful_ , Haruhi," Kaoru told her, not meaning anything other than that.

"Besides," Hikaru added, "we have all of those years to make up. We've missed dressing up our favorite doll!"

She sighed. "Fine," she agreed, albeit reluctantly. "But I am _not_ your doll."

Hikaru snickered mischievously. He stopped when the intercom turned on.

" _Dinner time! Please make your way to the kitchen!_ _"_

"We must have lost track of time," Kaoru chuckled sheepishly. He then turned to Haruhi. "You'll like the food here, Haruhi! It's like a buffet! Pretty good, too!"

She didn't appear to be paying attention.

Realizing this, he smiled and gave her an example: "Fancy tuna."

She flinched. " _Fancy tuna_?" she echoed.

The twins started laughing while guiding her to the kitchen.

00oo00

As the twins said, fancy tuna was an option. It wasn't the only thing available, however. There was meatloaf, soups, chicken, steak, crabs, and more. Each was prepared like the entries at Ouran were. The best thing about it- everything was covered by insurance. The Ootori Mental Hospital accepted most insurances, even the cheap one she was under.

Hikaru and Kaoru sat on both sides of Haruhi. They had gotten the exact same thing to eat, with the exception of Kaoru picking up a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert. Haruhi went for seafood, as expected. Crab, fancy tuna, sushi, and other things. They were so busy talking, they didn't notice a familiar blonde entering the scene.

Every patient was required by hospital rules to eat in the dining room. Mandatory attendance was the only times the twins saw Tamaki Suoh. Oddly enough, the twins had forgotten he was there for the most part. His eccentric behavior had been lost in the powerful seas of grief. He had learned to keep his mouth shut a bit too well, becoming a mute for the most part in the process. The twins had each other, and had pushed the former Host Club king out of their world.

Haruhi's brown eyes shifted to the young man. His blue eyes were wide with shock. His mouth didn't dare to open. His hands started trembling, the tray shaking in his grip a result. He dropped the tray after a moment of just staring at her gorgeous, brown eyes. His hands remained where they were, however. He staggered over to her and asked shakily, eyes full of worry.

"Why are you _here_ , Haruhi?"

00oo00

 **Thanks for reading! I noticed people keep asking me to update. Do Ouran fics just discontinue or something? I don't plan on abandoning this…**

 **Thank you guys for the support! Please review! Makes my day! They don't even have to be reviews- comments are cool, too! Follows and favorites make me happy, as well! Only if you think the story is worthy of it, of course.**

 **-Twiz**


	4. Chapter 4

Haruhi stared at Tamaki. How was she _supposed_ to explain what happened?

"Come to think of it," Hikaru spoke, "why _are_ you here?"

Kaoru was interested, too, of course. He didn't really think his fascination needed to be said since his brother said something, though.

Haruhi looked away from the Suoh.

"Haruhi," he pressed in a much more confident tone.

She continued to ignore him, his judgement feeling like an anvil on her shoulders.

He paused, seeing her lip tremble. "You didn't."

Even someone as oblivious as Tamaki could tell. Haruhi hated herself for that.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Hikaru spoke in a whisper, shocked someone as strong as Haruhi Fujioka would attempt something like that.

"Come on, guys," Haruhi spoke up defensively. "It was stupid and it won't happen again."

"You can't promise that," Kaoru pointed out.

She turned to him, not expecting the interjection.

"Emotions are inconsistent," he elaborated. "They fluctuate depending on the state of mind and what's going on around them. Haruhi, you _can't_ promise you won't feel like that again."

"No," she agreed, "but I won't do that again."

"People do stupid things when they're depressed," Tamaki added, albeit slowly and quietly.

Haruhi felt rage boil in her stomach. She took a breath in an attempt to extinguish the flame, then exhaled. She looked over at Tamaki. "It _won't_ happen again."

She then threw away her trash and retreated to her room. (Her whiteboard had a tiny red marker attached to it.)

Tamaki watched her go. He skipped mealtime and followed her quietly.

Kaoru's gaze shifted to his untouched pumpkin pie. He stared at it for a few seconds before he stabbed a fork in it.

Hikaru looked up at him once he stood. "Are you okay?"

He offered his brother a small smile. "I'm fine."

00oo00

 **Sorry this one's short! The next one is supposed to be MUCH longer, so it'll make up for it! If I added the long bit to this, it would sort of make everything unbalanced. Consider this a prologue for the next chapter.**

 **Please review, follow, and favorite!**

 **-Twiz**


	5. Chapter 5

She couldn't _believe_ them. Those boys were idiotic enough to pester her about it. Tamaki and Hikaru she could understand- but she had more faith in Kaoru for him to keep his mouth shut. She promised them she'd never do something like that again. Why wasn't that enough?

She changed into more casual clothing the mental hospital provided for her. She played the twins' games for their fun, and they couldn't have the respect not to bring it up. She was _humiliated_ by it. She also didn't want the unneeded fuss over her since she was _fine_.

If that was the case, why was she sent to the Ootori Mental Hospital?

That question echoed through her head until the pattern was broken by a knock. She debated on answering it before begrudgingly dragging herself to do so. At the door was Tamaki.

It had been years since they both stood face to face with each other. If she were honest with herself, he was a bit intimidated by his stature. His blue eyes were brimming with concern and frustration. This made her even more unsettled.

Wait. Why was she scared of _Tamaki_?

"Haruhi," he spoke in a whisper. "We need to talk."

How was she supposed to respond?

"What about?" she asked, clearly taking the stubborn option. "I thought it made it clear to you three that I don't want to talk about it."

"I know," he pressed, walking into the room. "You don't have to talk to _me_ ; I want to talk to _you_."

She gave him the same confused look she gave him when he gave her the 1,000 client quota.

00oo00

Kaoru stumbled into his room, collapsing onto his bed. He buried his face into a pillow and started crying.

Haruhi was the first "outside" person to tell him and Hikaru apart. She was so stubborn and _normal_ \- anything but a princess. And yet, despite all of this, she was considered the Host Club's. She was so _strong_ , it was hard for him to imagine her being nearly defeated by something like an emotion.

Just the thought of it made Kaoru so upset, he felt detached from himself. Looking into her eyes caused him great happiness, yet heart-wrenching sorrow.

He removed the pillow to find himself in a pumpkin patch. In the middle was a magnificent carriage, that looked like it had been beaten up by nature over and over, abandoned by the owners. One of the wheels were loose-obviously, the cause of the abandonment- while another had a pumpkin's vine holding the rim. He approached it, and opened the door. The leather seats were cracked and dusty. He stepped back and stared at it. This was the Host Club's carriage that Tamaki created.

It would never go back to functioning the way it used to. Not unless, it was seriously refurbished and repaired. The image ebbed, and was replaced with the true setting. He never had a hallucination so elaborate. This fact frightened him.

00oo00

"Do you remember when we went to the beach after going to Kyoya's family's jungle resort?" Tamaki asked.

"Yeah," Haruhi answered, curious to see where this was going.

"Remember when you defended those punks who were harassing some of our guests? And you wouldn't come and get us?"

She looked over at them. "Yeah. You said I couldn't protect myself since I'm not a martial arts master like Honey or Mori." She paused. "Kyoya proved your point, by the way."

He looked very angry and worried, but Haruhi's calm gaze reassured him he was wrong. Regaining his composure, he continued. "That's sort of like depression. You can't help but feel it, but it's not something you have to face alone. You should get us, any one of us- even those shady twins. You're not alone."

She was, though. For a very long time. Tears formed in her eyes, which she desperately but quietly tried to hide from Tamaki. He noticed, however.

He chuckled a bit and opened his arms. "Come here."

She looked at him, looking and feeling so pitiful, before hugging him tightly.

00oo00

 **Not as long as expected! Here you go! Review, follow, and favorite, please!**

 **-Twiz**


	6. Chapter 6

They boarded the plane to Japan. Honey was bubbling with excitement. In contrast, Mori was expressionless as ever.

The plane they were being taken on was the Ootori private jet. It was black with yellow rings around the windows. Near the tail were some white stripes with the last name written in black ink on the ivory.

"Are you ready, Takashi?" Honey asked gleefully to his cousin.

"Mm," he hummed while nodding with a faint smile.

Kyoya's gaze shifted to the outside world. The windows were so crystal clear, he nearly had to remind himself that the invisible barrier was there.

 _I really do hope we've waited long enough_ , he thought.

00oo00

"Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi mumbled, pulling away from him.

Her face was red and sticky from tears. Her hair was a mess, as well.

"You are so cute~!" Tamaki laughed, pinching her cheek.

Her gentle eyes turned into an annoyed glare.

He let go, smiling broadly nonetheless.

He never would change, would he? Haruhi wondered with amusement.

"Haruhi," he spoke, happiness ebbing. "I know it's none of my business, and you don't have to tell me but why did you do it?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she argued stubbornly.

"Ok," he reluctantly agreed, "but please, if you ever feel like that again, talk to me, ok?"

She looked up at his worried, blue eyes, then looked back down.

She wondered how it felt to be him. If she knew Tamaki or any of her other friends did something that she did, she would _force_ them to tell her why. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She would be so angry and worried, but that's not how Tamaki would feel. He would feel worried, upset, and concerned. He was a prince and wouldn't dare force anyone to tell him anything they didn't want to.

00oo00

Kaoru's head rose at the sound of knocking. "Come in."

The door opened to see his twin.

"Oh, hey, Hikaru," the younger of the two greeted, feigning pep.

"I saw Tamaki walk into Haruhi's room," Hikaru said. "I was thinking we could eavesdrop and make sure that-"

Kaoru interrupted him. "Shouldn't we respect their privacy?"

 _On the other hand_ , he thought, _she did always have a tendency to open up to Tamaki more than anyone else in the Club. Maybe she was telling him about why she got admitted here._

"Privacy?" Hikaru scoffed. "Who cares? Even if you don't I _will_ go listen in."

"Fine," Kaoru sighed. "I'll go. If nothing else, to keep you out of trouble."

He smirked cockily. "Okay."

00oo00

She sighed. "I feel like a failure."

"What?"

"I got expelled."

" _Expelled_? You're _smart_ , Haruhi! How else would you have gotten into Ouran Highschool?"

"It wasn't enough," she muttered. "I did the best I could, and practiced and studied. I was a good student, and I didn't goof off like you would have-" Tamaki's eye twitched. "-but somehow, it just wasn't good enough."

"I'm sorry," Tamaki sighed sympathetically. "Did you meet anyone there?"

"No one," she responded sheepishly.

The door abruptly slammed open to reveal a very frustrated Hikaru. "Didn't you learn _anything_ from us?"

Kaoru's face was red from embarrassment over his brother's outburst and being discovered.

"Don't you two know _anything_ about privacy?!" Haruhi yelled, tossing him out of the room.

The Hitcahiin stumbled on one foot, but used his arms for balance. Kaoru looked over at an angry Haruhi. This was a bad idea, and he felt ashamed for doing it. He had to make up those lost points.

"Haruhi," the younger of the twins spoke up. She turned to him with brown eyes that burned with rage that screamed 'be careful what you're about to say'. He gulped, looked away, but continued nonetheless. "You did something so stupid over being expelled? Or was it something more?"

An image flashed in her head for a millisecond. It was of a man she recognized. Some details she couldn't register in that brief moment. What she made out was tan with dirty blonde hair. The image frightened her somehow, and the angry fire in her eyes were replaced with paralyzing fear.

 _That's new_ , Kaoru commented in his head.

Yet another guest came in, but it wasn't anyone Haruhi recognized. It was a small, blonde boy. His brown eyes were full of happy tears. He wore a t-shirt and shorts. He tackled her into a hug, screaming happily, "Haru-chan~!"

She was a bit taken back by the surprise. "Honey-senpai?" she mumbled.

Soon after, the robot-like man most called Mori arrived. He was followed by Kyoya. Tamaki smiled when he saw him. Kaoru looked around.

 _Carriage,_ his head screamed.

" **EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"** Haruhi yelled, suddenly overwhelmed by chattering and the surplus of people.

Despite the outburst, she really did miss them. Her room was just too small for seven people to be in. (Even though two of them were merely in the doorway.)

00oo00

 **Thank you guys so much! Please review, favorite and follow if you haven't already!**

 **-Twiz**


	7. Chapter 7

**Gotta love school. Sorry for the wait! Honestly, you guys are the only reason I'm still working on this. I've been preoccupied with getting my comic up and running, too. If you guys want to check it out, it's titled Project Z3! You can find it under Webtoons' Discover section if you search it that way. The art quality is weird, but I'm working on getting a better program.**

Haruhi was left alone in her room again. Tamaki was the last to reluctantly leave. She felt the solitude to be both a blessing and a curse to her. She had no one but herself, which was a dark place at times. At least she could sort through her memories, though.

00oo00

"It's so good to see you again, guys!" Tamaki said cheerfully, joining his friends at the table.

"We missed you, too, Tama-chan!" Honey giggled, feet swinging since they didn't quite touch the floor.

"Did you discover the reason Haruhi is here yet, by chance?" Kyoya asked calmly.

"No," Suoh groaned, slumping in his seat. He snapped back up to an upright position, face lighting up. "But you have her records, don't you? You can tell-!"

"I will do no such thing," Kyoya interrupted in a passive-aggressive. "It's an invasion of privacy. Besides, even if I did happen to know, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?!"

"Because some things taste sweeter if you find them out yourself," Honey chimed in quietly.

Tamaki bit his lip and looked away. "….P-Please…."

"Think about Haruhi," Kyoya sighed, arms crossing. "How do you think Miss Fujioka would respond if you were to find out in a cheap way such as sifting through her file?"

00oo00

Kaoru was in his room. He was laying down on his side, fingers twitching every once in a while. To him, however, he didn't see a bedroom. He was in a field with a rotting pumpkin staring at him.

 _It's still here,_ he thought, _just changed a little…. But it's dying._

Hikaru barged in, destroying the illusion. "Hey, Kaoru."

The younger of the boys sat up slowly and forced a smile. "Hi. Did you need something?"

"Nah," Hikaru said with a shrug. "Just wanted to know if you wanted to see to Haruhi again. It'd be just the three of us. Like it used to be."

"We shouldn't bother her," Kaoru said in a murmur. "She needs her space."

"What do you mean?" Hikaru snapped, stomping his foot.

Kaoru winced at the sound. "H-Hikaru, she's not like us. She's a girl, and she's different than last time. Don't you see that?"

"No! No I don't see that!"

Kaoru met his brother's icy gaze before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. It broke off the hinges.

 _It's not just the carriage that is dying… Is it?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Does anyone know of some good, free art programs? Everything I'm using turns out fuzzy on Webtoons… MY LIFE IS AMAZING WOO.**

 **Also, I LOVE it when you guys comment, favorite, and follow. Especially comment, to be honest! As long as it's helpful or supportive in some fashion….**

The next day, pancakes were served for breakfast. Everyone was to meet in the mess hall.

Honey decorated his cake with whipped-cream and a strawberry on top. Mori sat next to him and ate his plain. Kyoya, having a finer taste, requested an omlette. It was adequate, he decided. Kaoru topped his with peaches, while Hikaru scattered blueberries on the face of his. They sat by the window. Tamaki drowned his in regular syrup and got a small coffee. In his youth, he would have marveled at the prospect of "commoner's coffee". Alas, he had grown a bit too used to the taste and its wonder had died.

Kaoru stared at the window, the chatter of the room falling on deaf ears. Tamaki wasn't awake enough to realize it, but…

Haruhi wasn't there.

00oo00

Haruhi woke up in a cold sweat. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum and her pants rattled her petite frame. But _why_?

She placed her hand gingerly on her chest, persuading her heart to slow into a more normal rhythm. She regulated her breathing before standing up and going to the restroom.

Her reflection in the mirror caught her attention. Her hair was unruly and her face was pale from the night-terror.

"Good thing I'm the only girl, huh?" she mumbled to herself, splashing her face with warm water. She was interrupted by the greedy growl of her stomach.

She placed her palm on her stomach. "Fine, fine…."


	9. Chapter 9

Haruhi took her breakfast after everyone left and ate in her room. She decided to eat hers with strawberries. Haruhi was always a bit of a glutton, but she was famished.

Tamaki thought that Haruhi didn't eat, so he knocked on her door as she was finishing.

"Come in."

The blonde opened the door. He smiled softly to see her with a dirty plate.

"Hey, Haruhi," he greeted. "Everything okay?"

She nodded. "As fine as it can be."

He chuckled, shaking his head. He then met her brown gaze. "Why didn't you eat with us this morning?"

"I didn't want to bother you guys," she said simply, wiping her mouth with her arm.

"But we're your friends!" Tamaki persisted. "You don't bother us!"

She stared blankly at him. _Why did I even thin-_

She winced as a migraine pierced into her skull. She dropped the plate onto the ground, causing it to crash and shatter. She saw another picture of the man from before, but more distinct.

Blonde hair, tan skin, piercing, green eyes, and-

The next thing she knew, she was in Tamaki's secure arms. "Haruhi!"

She looked at him. "T-Tama…"

Kyoya walked in unannounced. "Tamaki, step out for just a second."

"What? Why?!" he yelled.

"Business."

Tamaki balled his fist and slowly walked away. Kyoya shut the door behind him and locked eyes with Haruhi.

"Haruhi, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Something confidential to just you and me."

She paled.

Little did she know that Hikaru's ear was pressed against the door.

00oo00

Tamaki walked slowly around his room. What was so important that Kyoya made him leave? He's used to Kyoya leaving him out of the loop from time-to-time, but it wasn't usually on things he's passionate about. He paused.

It was about Haruhi, wasn't it?

00oo00

Hikaru was _mad_. His feet made the hall thunder. He made his way to Kaoru's room. He slammed the door open, making it finally fall off the hinges.

"Hikaru? What's wrong? Calm down…"

"I will _not_ call down! Not after what the guy did to Haruhi!"

Kaoru put his hands on his brother's shoulders calmly. "What? Who?"

He jerked himself away from Kaoru. "Her-"

"Hikaru," a nurse from behind interrupted. "It's time to go back into your room."

"You're not the boss of me!" he hissed, picking her up by her collar.

"H-Hikaru…"

Hikaru turned his head to see Kaoru, who was pulling on the hem of his shirt (a habit he had when they were kids).

"Hikaru… stop."

Hikaru let go of the nurse and pulled Kaoru by the collar, making him about 2 inches away from his face. Kaoru could feel his brother's hot breath tickle his cheeks.

"How could you not be upset?! Whose side are you _on_ anymore?!"

"Hikaru, I-"

"Forget it!" He dropped him and ran to his room.

Kaoru watched the nurse leave to give his older brother his medicine. He'd apologize to Hikaru for whatever he did after he cooled off from one of his spells. First, he was going to talk to Haruhi.

00oo00

Kyoya had just left. Haruhi felt numb.

Kaoru walked in quietly. "Haruhi, can we talk?"

She shrugged. He sat next to her on her bed.

"Hikaru just came in ready to kill me," he chuckled shyly. "He said he was mad because of something someone did to you."

She tensed. "Can't everyone just mind their own business?" she mumbled quietly.

"Haruhi, whatever it is Hikaru knows," Kaoru said quietly. "And he's never been the quiet type. But if you tell me, I can act like he's lying. But if you don't, I'll be too surprised to lie."

Haruhi stared at him for a few seconds before looking away. _He's still a Hitachiin…_

Kaoru gently brought her face back to look at him. "Please?"

She bit her lip and chuckled bittersweetly. "Fine. But don't tell Tamaki."

00oo00

 **RAPID FIRE CHAPTERS WOO. Comment please! I love reading what you have to say so, so much! I came back to finish thing MAINLY (not solely) because of your lovely comments! Love you guys!**


	10. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Hey guys! After posting Chapter 10, things took a turn for the worst. It's totally my fault for being hasty. It was an anticlimactic reveal, so I'm going to rewrite it with a different climax. I wrote it on a whim and I was really tired. Sorry! Please wait for the next chapter. It will be well worth it, I'm sure.**


	11. Chapter 10

"I couldn't remember nearly anything… until Kyoya came in."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Once I left for college," she narrated, "I knew something wasn't right. Something felt… off. In one of my classes there was this guy who seemed even more off. His eyes were always red, his skin was pale, and he seemed somewhere else. Yet, his eyes were fixed on me. I don't know why, though. I have no sex-appeal, so it wasn't that. Just to be safe, I stayed close to Mei."

Another nod.

"Well, this guy threw this party and Mei dragged me along. No matter what I said, she insisted that I go. This party was a drinking party, so I isolated myself. Mei was wasted. So this guy introduces himself as Elliot Falkner. He's super drunk so it was hard to understand him."

Another nod.

Haruhi continued to tell the story.

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

 _Elliot smiled shakily and started slurring. "Haruhi… Isn' tha' a boy's name?"_

" _Unisex," Haruhi corrected calmly._

" _It's ha'd to tell with yer body and hair, but what are you? Gend'r-wise, I me'n."_

" _Not that it matters, female."_

" _So ye're Haruhi Fuji'ka?"_

 _She nodded._

" _Ye're kinda plain, eh? No g'y'd like you."_

" _Doesn't matter to me."_

 _He chuckled. "W'll, I like you."_

 _She blinked._

" _You w'nt to-"_

" _No."_

" _No?"_

" _No," she repeated firmly._

" _Well, I don' t'ke no f'r an answ'r …." He picked her up by her collar. "O'e l'st ch'nce."_

 _She narrowed her eyes. "No."_

 _He kneed her in the gut. She gasped for air._

" _Y'u're w'rthl'ss! You have no ph'sique, no f'ce, no p'rsonal'ty. Ye're more of a w'ste than that tan gurl ov'r th're. Wut's her n'me? Mei?"_

 _He punched her cheek. The assault continued until the alcohol made him sick. By then, Haruhi had a black eye, busted lip, fractured rib, bruised cheek… Those were just the obvious injuries. He didn't stop until she cried out when he nearly punctured her lung._

 _Haruhi felt weak. She shakily stood up and went home._

 _Unfortunately, his abuse didn't stay in his drunken state. He was constantly like that since that day. When he had no chance to see her face to face, he harassed her via text and call. (He got her number from the drunk Mei that night.)_

 _ **You're worthless.**_

 _At first it didn't bother her._

 _ **You're better off dead.**_

 _He turned people against her._

 _ **Who'd love a girl like you?**_

 _Mei got sent to beauty school._

 _ **You're trash.**_

 _She was expelled._

 _ **I heard you were a crossdresser in high school.**_

 _She snapped_

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

Kaoru's eyes were wide.

"See? It's dumb."

He got closer.

"It won't happen again."

Closer.

"I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

He kissed her.

She was silent.

He pulled away. "You may have changed… We all my have changed… But we're still _us_ , right? Please… don't leave us again! We're here! You're here! Things may be different, but can't things go back to the way they were? Or has the pumpkin rotted?"

To him, they were in the pumpkin patch. Inside the rotting pumpkin carriage, to be exact. Haruhi was dressed in a ruined Cinderella dress while he was dressed like Jacques. His hands were folded over her.

"Pumpkin?" she echoed.

He looked away, biting his lip and his hands shaking.

She put her hand on his leg.

"It's… nothing. Just an inside-joke. A joke." He forced a smile. "Hah."

He was broken.

She was no better.

Kaoru stood up.

"Kaoru, don't go."

His eyes shifted to her. They were filled with tears.

"I'm…. sorry."

0oo00

 **Ta da. Thoughts?**


	12. Chapter 11

Honey and Mori were eating cake in the mess hall. Honey was smiling and giggling while Mori was stoic as always.

"Takashi, do you think Haruhi is okay?" Honey asked, cheerfulness still there.

"Mm," he grunted with a nod.

"I bet… she was hurt by someone mean," the blonde continued.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. And I wonder how Tama-chan will react once he finds out…"

00oo00

Hikaru came out of his room in a dramatic fashion. He was going to tell Tamaki about Haruhi.

00oo00

Tamaki was in his room sulking. Kyoya never really kept secrets from him. Whatever happened to his beloved Haruhi must've been terrible… If they were still in high school, he could've used his superior title to demand an explanation (not that he would give it to him anyway).

Hikaru barged in. "Boss, we have to talk."

He sat up straight. "What is it, Hikaru?"

"It's about Haruhi."

He stood up.

00oo00

 **Sorry it's short! Anyway, I'm going to advertise my comic again: Project Z3! It's on Webtoons. Just search it!**

 **Don't forget to comment, follow, and favorite! Ciao!**


	13. Chapter 12

Tamaki didn't know how to react. He felt furious because of the guy, hurt out of sympathy, and betrayed that the devilish twins found out before him. Why wouldn't Haruhi tell him? Her daddy?

"H….Hikaru," he managed softly. "I-I'm… Can you leave for just a second?"

"IS THAT ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO? ASK ME TO LEAVE LIKE A GENTLEMAN?!" he snapped. "DO SOMETHING, YOU IDIOT!"

"I am doing something!" he yelled, but less fiery.

"WHAT MIGHT THAT BE?!"

"I don't know!"

"YOU'RE USELESS!" Hikaru stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

00oo00

 _Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock._

Haruhi looked toward the door. She was in the bathroom. "Occupied."

"It's Tamaki. Can we talk?"

"What about?"

"… Why you're here."

Haruhi's brow twitched. She knew Kaoru wouldn't have told him, but she figured that he couldn't get to Hikaru and Tamaki fast enough to lie about the truth.

"What about it, senpai?" she asked coolly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Haruhi blinked. Tamaki was hurt.

"What would you have done?" she asked, voice wavering.

"I…"

"You weren't there."

"I could have been!" he protested. "Haruhi, you keep shutting people out and pushing people away. And if you do don't do that, you let them leave."

Her eyes widened. An image flashed to her mom.

" _I'll be at the hospital for a while, okay?" she said much to cheerily._

"Haruhi, I want…"

" _Come visit me!" Mrs. Fujioka giggled. It broke into a coughing fit._

"I want…." Tamaki tried again. He couldn't find the words.

" _I love you, Haruhi!" her mother said, hugging her tightly. Haruhi could've sworn her tough mom was crying._

The door was flung open. Haruhi had been sitting near it, so Tamaki stumbled and collapsed on top of her. It was identical to what happened before her father stumbled in.

"Haruhi, I-"

 _Don't say it,_ Haruhi thought.

00oo00

 **Review, like, and favorite!**

 **Love you guys!**


	14. FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT (in theory)

**Hey, guys! It's Twiz again. After some consideration, I just decided to continue the story as is. As a Guest pointed out, it is a bit OOC, but keep in mind it is set a few years after highschool graduation. People change with time and experiences. Haruhi has softened after what happened with Elliot, for example.**

 **But, if you guys would** ** _like_** **me to rewrite it regardless, I don't necessarily** ** _mind_** **, it would just take forever considering I have other projects that need tending to. My comic, my other fanfictions, and more.**

 **As a fanfiction writer, you all are my audience. And as my audience, I want you to have a voice in the story. I won't drastically change what I have planned, but you all should have some input. Does that make sense?**

 **ALSO: Let's do a QnA! It can be in regards to me, "Times Have Changed", or my comic:** ** _Project Z3_** **. If it is about me, however, I will not answer any overly personal questions like where I live. To those who don't want to participate, I will still upload a chapter with the QnA.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now. Thank you guys so so much for the support! This, by far, is my most popular story, which baffles me!**


	15. Chapter 13

Tamaki's words failed him, as they always did when it came to her.

 _Don't say it_ , her brain repeated in a weak whisper. "What?" her voice asked softly.

"I…" his voice trailed off.

"Tamaki-senpai?"

A blush creeped across his face. "Nothing." He turned to leave, but she took his wrist.

"Tamaki, you're a lot of things, but you're no liar."

"We've both… changed so much, huh?"

His soft, vulnerable voice made Haruhi's heart have a sudden thump.

"We're both b-broken."

Those words out of his mouth surprised him. He seemed to notice, and he smirked a bit out of pride. At least it lightened the mood and encouraged him to continue.

"But then again… How else is the light supposed to get in?"

000oo00

 **Sorry for the delay and shortness of this chapter. I'm currently ill. Next chapter is about Hikaru! And boy do things get bad… Haha…**

 **Thank you guys so much for the support and love! I just… don't know what to say… Love you guys! 3**


	16. Chapter 14

Hikaru's eyes focused on his pale fists. The attendants locked him in his room. He was caged inside of himself. He could hear his pulse thumping in his ears and droplets of sweat glide down his face. He grunted with every breath. Questions screamed in his mind.

Why was Kaoru so distant?

Why wouldn't Tamaki do anything?

How could someone treat Haruhi so poorly?

Why was he so mad all the time?

Hikaru couldn't breathe. His irises slowly shifted to the nearby window. Outside, he could see the sun slowly being blocked by thick towers of black clouds.

 _Great!_ He scolded himself. _Now Tamaki can play hero again and woo Haruhi! Just like the old days! When will anything change?!_

A white flash blinded him, and a crash could be heard at once.

Hikaru's fist had slammed into the glass. It shattered immediately. Blood oozed out of his knuckles. Shards of the window were stuck in his flesh. He couldn't feel the pain; his adrenaline had _more_ than kicked in.

He took his opening and sprinted out of the ward. He could feel time slow, for a moment, as a flash of lightning outlined his body. A roar of thunder echoed as his foot stepped on the dirt below. He caught his breath for a moment before making a break for it.

00oo00

Haruhi's hands covered her ears. She had taken immediate action and cowered under her bed. Tamaki kept her company under the mattress despite being too big. The frame scratched his back with every breath he took.

Meanwhile, Kaoru was wrapped in his bed sheets. He was sitting in an upright position. His eyes were closed while his ears focused in on the drumming of the rain.

Then he heard hasty footsteps.

His eyelids flung open and he looked out the window. Hikaru had darted by his window.

Kaoru got to his feet. He could hear a carriage wheel breaking from the back of his head.

He rushed to find Kyoya. He was sipping tea by the window. The light from outside reflected off his glasses eerily.

"Kyoya-senpai!" Kaoru yelled. "Hikaru! He's out there!"

00o00

 **Sorry for the delay! Been really busy and have had a ton of medical stuff come up. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**


	17. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the silent hiatus! My health got really bad, so I couldn't find it in myself to write. But I am committing to being more true to my style than the hasty jots you guys get most of the time. Instead of focusing on quality, I preferred quantity. That changes now. Anyway, on with the chapter!**

00oo00

Kyoya immediately placed his cup on the plate. With Hikaru's anger issues, him breaking out could lead to him killing himself.

"Kaoru, go after Hikaru. I'm getting Haruhi."

"Why her? Isn't she scared of storms? That's what Tamaki said."

"Yes, but at the moment, she's the only one who can talk sense into him.

"Right." Kaoru ran outside.

00oo00

Silver bullets of water beat his skin mercilessly. The only things he could hear were his rapid pulse and roars of thunder. Even with the warm looks of the ward, security was fairly tight. He could bust some skulls, sure, but he was drastically outnumbered. He have been dumb, but he wasn't stupid. If he stayed on the property, he would be okay.

Hkaru hid in the light blue rose bushes behind the building. The thorns didn't bother him so much. Even though he could feel, he was numb.

00oo00

The earth under Kaoru's feet felt wild. The whole building in the back was surrounded by rose bushes of different colors. At the moment, he was dashing by the orange ones. Even at his speed, the world seemed to slow down. He found himself back in the pumpkin patch.

The produce was smashed.

"I don't have time for this!" he yelled, eyes squeezed shut.

When he opened his eyes, the illusion faded into the pale blue rose bushes and the familiar boy inside.

"Hikaru," Kaoru breathed.


End file.
